1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of supplying the energy needs to animals, particularly to domestic animals including ruminants, and the feeds to be used for this method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that to cover the energy demands of ruminants and other domestic animals, fat can be used in limited quantities only. Furthermore, the common types of fats, whose melting point lies below that of the body temperature of the animal, can only be fed with the ration in quantities of a maximum of 5%, otherwise the animal's digestive process is considerably disturbed. Another way of feeding fat is in the form of emulsions containing fat particles measuring 10 to 50.mu.m, (Swiss Patentschrift No. 456 010; Lang & Uzzan, "Les Corps Gras en Poudre: Preparation, Proprietes, Utilisations", Corps Gras en Poudre, No. 6, June 1975, pages 327 to 335). Likewise, however, this form of fat supply also causes disorders of the digestive process--in the omasum and especially in the rumen--if considerable quantities are fed.
It is general knowledge that fats which melt at high temperatures, i.e., above about 50.degree. C., suffer in digestibility at a progressively greater rate as the melting point is increased. This has been confirmed by A. Rosenberg in his U.S. Pat. No. 3,011,0892. In order to overcome this difficulty, Rosenberg has suggested the use of fat mixtures of very specific composition including one or more liquid oils that have not been hydrogenated. fat is said to have good digestibility with chicks when fed flakes which may be up to 2 mm in thickness and up to 5 mm in diameter. It was held that the size of such particles is not critical.